Deschutes County Sheriff Larry Blanton says sometimes people do the exact opposite of what they should do when they hear gunfire. Sheriff Blanton says some people who were in the Clackamas Town Center during the recent shooting said they actually went towards the noise.

He says some people may be curious or have a natural instinct to help - but that is not the safe thing to do.

"if you're in a public venue or a crowded area- leave the area as fast as you can - and be the best witness you can. in fact, that's what we teach our cops, sheriff deputies carry off-duty all the time. but first and foremost we must get our families safe so then we can be effective in dealing with the issue or the threat at the time."

Blanton also urges people to be aware of their surroundings, especially in public places.

The Sheriff was a recent guest on 1110 KBND's Your Town. He also reacted to the recent NRA state about putting more armed people in schools to deal with mass shooters. Blanton says he would like to see more Resource Officers in schools rather than trained teachers and other staff members.